Paralyzed Woman's Eyes Tell Judge She Wants To Die

OTHER NEWS TO NOTE NORTHEAST

April 27, 1990

PHILADELPHIA — A paralyzed woman who blinked once to tell a judge she wanted to be allowed to die can be taken off a respirator that is keeping her alive. Judge Nicholas M. D'Alessandro gave Neumann Medical Center officials one week to remove Thelma Stussy, 51, from the machine. The ruling came a day after a hospital bedside hearing at which Stussy signaled her wishes. Stussy suffers from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a fatal, incurable nerve degeneration also known as Lou Gehrig's disease. She is paralyzed from the neck down and is in constant pain. She and her family asked to have the respirator removed, but doctors and hospital officials asked the judge to decide.